Poor Edu spurred on by passion
EDU Sports' players change for their training sessions on the road and on a pavement around a bakkie at their practice ground on an outer field at Giant Stadium in Soshanguve.
Some obscure politics has prevented the SAB League (fourth division) team, opponents of Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup last 32 tomorrow, from using the new stadium's change rooms. There is a change room nearby on the outer fields, but they use the pavement for convenience.
A squad of 20 players take part in coach Johannes "Bricks" Mudau's session - two goalkeepers and 18 outfield players.
Place this mentally next to Chiefs' world-class village at Naturena, perfect facilities and expensively assembled, well-paid squad and you realise this really is as David v Goliath a match-up as can be.
Edu, the last fourth-division side in the cup, are owned by the humble, likeable Peter Ledwaba, an employee of the Motsepe Foundation. Wife and fellow football lover Mathilda, and local schoolteacher Sydney Tefu, pitch in to fund the team they formed in 2003.
"It's just a passion for football. I played. I worked as a teacher for a long time, and coached," Ledwaba explained. "I got involved in Sasfa [the SA Schools Football Association] structures - I was chairman for Gauteng for some time, and of the Soshanguve Local Football Association. And in 2003 we just decided 'let's form a club'."
It's a labour of love for the owners, who have assembled a squad comprised mostly of youngsters from the Soshanguve area, north of Pretoria. "It's very taxing - you plan to quit every day," Ledwaba said. "Sometimes you have to make very serious choices - the fridge is empty and the balls are done. So you've got to choose, do we buy balls or groceries?
"I have a wife who loves football and assists. When I'm not around she's the one who travels all over the place. I would have been long divorced if she didn't love football!"
Edu, who have impressive youth structures, have done well to rope in former Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns defensive legend Mudau - a Soshanguve resident - since September, though they cannot pay him. "He's volunteering because there's nothing to pay him with," Ledwaba said.
Promoted to the SAB League in 2009, Edu are struggling in 10th place out of 18 teams in the Gauteng region this season, but have catching up to do because of their Nedbank programme.
It's the magic of the Nedbank Cup that it pits teams like Edu Sport against giants Chiefs. And it's hard not to root for the no-hopers this time round.